The four figures are resistance fighters Tombolatutu from Central Sulawesi and Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris from East Kalimantan; religious leader and founder of Tangerang, Raden Aria Wangsakara; and film director and pioneer of Indonesian cinema, Usmar Ismail, Mahfud informed.
The national hero status would be officially conferred on the four figures on November 10, 2021, coinciding with the Heroes Day commemoration, he said.
"The conferment ceremony will take place in Bogor Palace on November 10, attended by families and descendants of the national heroes," he added.
The designated figures have been role models of the independence struggle and serve as an inspiration for the people to contribute to national development, Mahfud explained.
"The Presidential Decree is the legal basis for the national hero status conferment," he added.
Apart from their personal character and historical contribution to the nation, an equal representation of provinces represented by national hero figures was also considered by the government before deciding on the figures, he informed.
"The government decided to prioritize the personal character and equal representation factors for national heroes designation for this year," Mahfud stated.
As of this year, only two provinces, Central Sulawesi and East Kalimantan are yet to be represented in the national hero list, the coordinating minister noted.
"We have no national heroes from Central Sulawesi and East Kalimantan, but we will set aside North Kalimantan because the province is still new and we need more time to identify national heroes from the region. Central Sulawesi and East Kalimantan have existed for longer, and the two regions ought to be able to name a national hero from their region at the next conferment," Mahfud expounded.
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Translator: Syaiful Hakim, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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